Last contribution
Good evening :). This four weeks (actully I think is been five) has gone by and my project is over, only have the account left. Any suggestions? A bit late maybe since I should be prepeard to do it tomorrow... and I'm Jenny, just kidding!
Anyway thank you for reading and visiting the blog under this four weeks, hope you enjoyed it and that you have learned something about Sweden.
As you say, Cheers mate :)
Anyway thank you for reading and visiting the blog under this four weeks, hope you enjoyed it and that you have learned something about Sweden.
As you say, Cheers mate :)
Josefin
Animals
This project is soon over but I want to show you some pictures of our "strange animals" before this ends. So here they come, watch and enjoy!
Lodjur (lynx)
Brunbjörn (brown-bear)
Räv (fox)
Varg (wolf)
Älg (moose)
Josefin
Vasaloppet
Since 1922 one of the longest langlauf on skies in the world has been taken place every year in Sweden. Of course I'm talking about Vasaloppet.
The first sunday in March every year Vasaloppet starts from Sälen and finish in Mora, a distance on 90 kilometers. It has a historic reason. It is said that Gustav Vasa (remember I wrote about hum? If you want to fresch up your mind check the archives) skied this distance when if was on the run to Norway. And so one day in 1922 a man came with the idea that there should be a langlauf and so it was and has been since then.
Two "most" on Vasaloppet is blueberry soup and that the winner are giving big wreaths by so called kranskullor (female) or kransmasar (men).
My sister and her husband started Vasaloppet yesterday, it's open a hole week before the"real" competition, and passed it on the impressing times 9 hours 40 minutes and 9 hours 23 minutes. Compare that to the record 3 hours 38 minutes...
The first sunday in March every year Vasaloppet starts from Sälen and finish in Mora, a distance on 90 kilometers. It has a historic reason. It is said that Gustav Vasa (remember I wrote about hum? If you want to fresch up your mind check the archives) skied this distance when if was on the run to Norway. And so one day in 1922 a man came with the idea that there should be a langlauf and so it was and has been since then.
Two "most" on Vasaloppet is blueberry soup and that the winner are giving big wreaths by so called kranskullor (female) or kransmasar (men).
My sister and her husband started Vasaloppet yesterday, it's open a hole week before the"real" competition, and passed it on the impressing times 9 hours 40 minutes and 9 hours 23 minutes. Compare that to the record 3 hours 38 minutes...
Peter Göransson and a kranskulla.
Josefin
OS Vancouver
Is soon over and the Sweden team goes home with eleven medals. Thats a good winter-OS.
Anja Pärson took bronze.
Josefin
Prejudice agaisnt Swedish
Good day :). Here I'm back in the southern part of Sweden, has a spring now this coming week so I'm visting my hometown. Usually here's a lot warmer then in the middle and northern parts of Sweden but this winter heres actually some snow! But that's not what this contribution is about, today I'm thought I write some of the predjudice against Swedish and tell you whats true and false.
Everybody loves sport
No, no, no! But like most of the people around the world we don't like sitting still. So we do things. Some learn how to paly the guitarr, some practice sports and some just work to much.
They have lots of strange animlas over there
Depends on how you see it. If you from Asia of course our animals look strange. But your animls look strange to us. It's depends on were you from. But we DON'T live among ice bears, for the sake of love they live on antarctic.
They are very rich
Yes and no. Some are, some aren't. We live in a good country, with a nice gouverment, sometimes to nice if you ask me. They provide benefit to them how need some helps. But it's not like everybody lives in luxury. Sweden is often called "landet lagom" which means "country not to much, not to littel, not rich, but not etc."
They are very goodlooking
Of course we're! So much prettier then any nationality! I have nothing to say to this one...
Most people are blond
And every one has blue eyes and every girl has big breast. Sorry guys, but no. And the girls not easy to get in bed in either (with also is a very common prejudice). We have brown hair, red hair, blonde hair, black hair, green hair, blur eyes, grey eyes, small breast etc. Hope you get the picture...
The sun always goes down very early
Again NO! On the winter season, we don't have so much sun (and yes it's depressing), but in the summer the sun is up a lot more. A lot!
We get messy when we're drunk
Yeah... Most Swedish actually do. Kind of sad that they can't handle themself when they drunk.
Swedish people are very reserved
This one also true. We have an attitude of "what's personal is personal and I have nothing to do with it". And we're shy, very shy. But we don't mean anything wrong, most people has just been learned that you don't ask about personal things.
Josefin
OS Vancouver
Good morning :). This morning Sweden lost in the icehockey quarterfinal against Slovakien, 4-3. The first time in eight years Sweden have missed an OS semifinal in icehockey. It's sucks, they should have won that match!
Josefin
Swedish musicians
Good day :) Thought it was time for some more swedish music and musicians, have already write about ABBA and Melodifestivalen so check the archives if your interested. I'm not a very big fan of new Swedish music, but this two I'm gonna write about, Robyn and Roxette, has been a big favourte since I was little. Maybe a bit old nowadas but they're very good at what they doing. An new singer that I like, Melissa Horn, even sings on swedish and usually I dosn't like songs with swedish text.
Listen to this track by Melissa Horn, you don't understand the lyrics. But their beautiful.
Lets continue to Robyn. Robyn is a big musician in both USA and England. She got her breakthrough in Sweden with the song "Do you really want me". A song I still remember I loved, some years later toughsince I was four when it was released 1995. But 1997 it was released in USA and it became a big hit. After this she have made four albums (seven if you count that some of the albums have been made in diffrent versions). Nowadays she has among other things been priorband to Madonna, started an record company that only release her own music, contribute in Snoop Dogs singel "Sexual eruption" and been on Late Show with David Letterman. She's really good at was she's doing and this girl can sing.
Search on youtube to listen to her, she has requested that you shoukdn't but her songs on your blog.
Roxette is another Swedish group that are world famoused. They had their time on the 90's, like I said I'm not a very big fan of new Swedish music... The group endure by Per Gessle (that are a big solo singer to) and Marie Fredriksson. They have sold 50 miljon albums (!) and twenty miljon singels, and released 15 albums. One of their song, "It Must Have Been Love" is in the famous movie "Pretty women". Nowadays their back on tour and in Sweden their playing 14th of August 2010 for the first time in nine years. Maybe their songs still so good because of the memories from my childhood. I remember we always listend to them when my family were on car vacation...
It's they same thing with Roxette as with Robyn, search on youtube.
Listen to this track by Melissa Horn, you don't understand the lyrics. But their beautiful.
Lets continue to Robyn. Robyn is a big musician in both USA and England. She got her breakthrough in Sweden with the song "Do you really want me". A song I still remember I loved, some years later toughsince I was four when it was released 1995. But 1997 it was released in USA and it became a big hit. After this she have made four albums (seven if you count that some of the albums have been made in diffrent versions). Nowadays she has among other things been priorband to Madonna, started an record company that only release her own music, contribute in Snoop Dogs singel "Sexual eruption" and been on Late Show with David Letterman. She's really good at was she's doing and this girl can sing.
Search on youtube to listen to her, she has requested that you shoukdn't but her songs on your blog.
Roxette is another Swedish group that are world famoused. They had their time on the 90's, like I said I'm not a very big fan of new Swedish music... The group endure by Per Gessle (that are a big solo singer to) and Marie Fredriksson. They have sold 50 miljon albums (!) and twenty miljon singels, and released 15 albums. One of their song, "It Must Have Been Love" is in the famous movie "Pretty women". Nowadays their back on tour and in Sweden their playing 14th of August 2010 for the first time in nine years. Maybe their songs still so good because of the memories from my childhood. I remember we always listend to them when my family were on car vacation...
It's they same thing with Roxette as with Robyn, search on youtube.
Josefin
Astrid Lindgren and Selma Lagerlöf
One of the worlds best author are from Sweden and one of Sweden's biggest female role model were a fantastic author. I'm taking about two amazing women, Astrid Lindgren and Selma Lagerlöf.
Astrid Lindgren was born 14th of November 1907. She have written many children-books, translate into 88 language and several has been film adaptationed. Some of her most famous books are Pippi Långstrump, Mio min Mio and Bröderna Lejonhjärta. She was involved in children- and animal-rights and on the day she turned eight the present prime minister gave her an animal protection law, named "Lex Lindgren". I love her books, even today I can take one of her children books and read or watch one of the movies. Her messages in the books are beautiful and I liked to think I adapt them to my life. I recommend you to read everyone of them! Maybe to hard, my favourites are Bröderna Lejonhjärta, Mio min Mio and Ronja Rövardotter. Astrid Lindgren died 28th of January 2002.
Selma Lagerlöf is one of the biggest Swedish female role-model, at least in my opinion. She was born the 20th of November 1858. She was an teacher and an author. Her most famous book are "Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige". Which she write as an textbook in geography. She was the first women to win the Nobel Prize and her face are on our 20 crown bank-note. She is an respectful with I admire a lot.
Josefin
OS Vancouver
Just gotta tell you (consindering my contribution yesterday) that Sweden this morning won (3-0)over Finland in OS icehockey. Which mean we go directly to quarter finals, were we probably meet Slovakien :).
Henrik Lunqvist after the gold in OS Turin.
Josefin
Football, ice hockey and equestrian sport
What to Swedish do to stay in fit after all this bakery, food and alcohol?
Another big sport in Sweden are equestrian sport, which I practice. There are many different concentrations, the most common ones are horse jumping and dressage. We have some good Swedish riders, Peter Eriksson, Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, Malin Bayard and Minna Telde to mention some.
Me and my horse, riding is so much more then competition. But I guess all sports are.
Ice-hockey is also a big sport, specialy when an international competiton is going on. And were good at it, actually often in the top three. So we bring out the beer again, call our friends and watch hockey. And this is actually fun to watch, mostly because their allowed to fight...
Our swedish team "tre kronor"
The biggest sport in Sweden are football. English football, no American. We're no good at it (apart from Zlatan Ibrahimovic)... Actually we kind of useless at it, still everyone plays it (expect me how see no point in running after a ball if you can't fight?!). But it's funny to gather your friends, drink some beer, eat some chips and watch football. Why? Cause it's such a great atmosphere and if you're lucky there are someone else who doesn't like the watching part.
Another big sport in Sweden are equestrian sport, which I practice. There are many different concentrations, the most common ones are horse jumping and dressage. We have some good Swedish riders, Peter Eriksson, Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, Malin Bayard and Minna Telde to mention some.
Me and my horse, riding is so much more then competition. But I guess all sports are.
Ice-hockey is also a big sport, specialy when an international competiton is going on. And were good at it, actually often in the top three. So we bring out the beer again, call our friends and watch hockey. And this is actually fun to watch, mostly because their allowed to fight...
Our swedish team "tre kronor"
Josefin
Drugs in Sweden
Unfortunately, there are a lot of drugs and a big drug market in Sweden.
The law in Sweden forbide all drugs, from hasch and heroin to new one as tramadon. Some drugs are used medical, but there are a big black market, specialy in the south Sweden. There it's close to both Amsterdam and Copenhagen, and todays free boundary has made it easy to smuggle.
I've come from Malmö, the third biggest city in Sweden. The city is in the southern parts, 20 minutes away from Denmark. I know there are a big market of drugs there and it's not hard for a ten-twelve years old child to get a hold of it. It's a pity for it shouldn't be that way. Still the gouvernment are trying, maybe not hard enough, to reduce it.
So were is the problem? From my own experience it's mostly people that don't have anything to do on there sparetime that starts with drugs and then get stuck. And theres the attitude that drugs are cool. It's hard to oppose a "fashion".
It isn't so that every kid takes heavy drugs like cocaine or heroin. It's more common with hasch, even here it's an attitude that hasch isn't anything bad. It hasn't killed anyone, has it? Well I hope kids relase the danger in drugs, and grown-ups to for that matter. Because it isn't cool and it has harm a lot of people.
The law in Sweden forbide all drugs, from hasch and heroin to new one as tramadon. Some drugs are used medical, but there are a big black market, specialy in the south Sweden. There it's close to both Amsterdam and Copenhagen, and todays free boundary has made it easy to smuggle.
I've come from Malmö, the third biggest city in Sweden. The city is in the southern parts, 20 minutes away from Denmark. I know there are a big market of drugs there and it's not hard for a ten-twelve years old child to get a hold of it. It's a pity for it shouldn't be that way. Still the gouvernment are trying, maybe not hard enough, to reduce it.
So were is the problem? From my own experience it's mostly people that don't have anything to do on there sparetime that starts with drugs and then get stuck. And theres the attitude that drugs are cool. It's hard to oppose a "fashion".
It isn't so that every kid takes heavy drugs like cocaine or heroin. It's more common with hasch, even here it's an attitude that hasch isn't anything bad. It hasn't killed anyone, has it? Well I hope kids relase the danger in drugs, and grown-ups to for that matter. Because it isn't cool and it has harm a lot of people.
Josefin
Alcohol
To food you need alcohol. Every country have their "own" alcohol but Sweden don't. As with everything else nothing is typical swedish. Still there are a few sorts of alcohol that are drinked more often then others. Before I tell you about those I have to tell you that Alfie has made the first comment on this blog :).
I've told you about midsummer, christmas and other traditions. To every tradition that means food you need snaps and drinking songs. That's swedish. Does it taste good? No, but that's not the point. You get drunk without drinking a disgusting drink in three hours. Typical swedish not wasting any time on getting drunk or pretend that something's better then it's. For the enjoying part we drink beer. A lot of it. It's good and relaxing.
In Sweden we have one company and one company only that are allowed to sell drinks containing more then 3.5% alcohol. And you have to be 20. Still you get to drink alcohol on the pub's when your 18. This because it's dangerous to drink at home when your 18, but on the pub's there are guards how look after you. Then when your 20 you responsible enough to drink at home. According to the swedish government. Still the criminal has been affected by alcohol in almost every reported violence crime.
So don't forget to drink beer and snaps when you visit Sweden :).
Josefin
Meatballs, potatoes and sauce
Swedish don't have any national dishes. But we have one meal that includes all of our specialties.
One part of it is the meatball. The good meatball. Made of meat (dah?!), onion, egg, milk and some spices. The home made are the best one, the one mother does is the greatest.
To the meatball you should have potato or potato mash. Home made potato mash is the favourite. Again mother's is the best.
To this you need sauce. Actually swedish want's sauce to everything me eat. Ketchup do not count as sauce. Without sauce nothing is good. The sauce makes everything just a little bit better.
And thats the meal and the only specialties we have (apart from some disgusting things that I won't even mention), add some sour pickled gherkin and lingonberry preserve and it's perfect. Good, easy to do. Have some beer and enjoy!
Didn't find any picture that looked nice, so you'll have to survive a picture less contribution :(.
Josefin
Cream bun and cinnamon bun
Hi :). I thought we start this food week with a contribution about two bakery that are very common in Sweden. The cream bun and the cinnamon bun. Both has a special day in Sweden and today is the cream buns day or as is called in Sweden "semla" (but it has many other namnes to).
Semlan is a wheat bun with cardamom. In the bun there are cream and marzipan, really dealicous. Semlan is an old bakery and from the beginning you ate it before the fast. That's why the "Fettisdagen" is in this time of the year. Some people eat it with milk, since that was how you ate it in the old days. How it looks and what it's called depends on were in Sweden you're. But must comon is that it looks just like the one in picture above.
The other bakery that has it's on special day is the cinnamon bun, or as is name in Sweden "kanelbulle". This bakery is also a wheat bun, but not in a bun form. In the between the "layers"you have cinnamon and sugar. Today it's popular to trade out the cinnamon to vanilia. I have no idea why it's so popular here or were it's actually from. Try google it ;).
Semlan is a wheat bun with cardamom. In the bun there are cream and marzipan, really dealicous. Semlan is an old bakery and from the beginning you ate it before the fast. That's why the "Fettisdagen" is in this time of the year. Some people eat it with milk, since that was how you ate it in the old days. How it looks and what it's called depends on were in Sweden you're. But must comon is that it looks just like the one in picture above.
The other bakery that has it's on special day is the cinnamon bun, or as is name in Sweden "kanelbulle". This bakery is also a wheat bun, but not in a bun form. In the between the "layers"you have cinnamon and sugar. Today it's popular to trade out the cinnamon to vanilia. I have no idea why it's so popular here or were it's actually from. Try google it ;).
Josefin
Christmas and easter
So I thought you might wanna to know how we celebrate christmas and easter. I'm not gonna take the backgound, but they're a christian tradition from the start.
Christman for Swedish is often just a way of metting the family, eating good and get presents. We celebrate the 24th of December. This because of in former times Swedish celebrated the midwinter condition round this date and the christians couldn't really change the traditions. I think it's a wonderful tradition, meeting all relatives, having holiday and just relax.
The eastern is a holiday for welcoming the spring and to get a lot candy. And still eating good food. I think is a nice traditions cause now you know that the summer spring coming soon, it's getting warmer and you get happy by it.
Well I don't want to tell ypu more about thoose traditions because I think you should experience them ourself. Every family has their own traditions :).
Christman for Swedish is often just a way of metting the family, eating good and get presents. We celebrate the 24th of December. This because of in former times Swedish celebrated the midwinter condition round this date and the christians couldn't really change the traditions. I think it's a wonderful tradition, meeting all relatives, having holiday and just relax.
The eastern is a holiday for welcoming the spring and to get a lot candy. And still eating good food. I think is a nice traditions cause now you know that the summer spring coming soon, it's getting warmer and you get happy by it.
Well I don't want to tell ypu more about thoose traditions because I think you should experience them ourself. Every family has their own traditions :).
Josefin
